Differential drive assembly for article-handling devices



V. A. RAYBURN DIFFERENTIAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR ARTICLEHANDLING DEVICES Nov. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1945 w a We w 06 a INVENTOR MA. RAYBURN ATTOR E) Nov. 28, 1950 v. A. RAYBURN 2,531,644

' DIFFERENTIAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR ARTICLE-HANDLING DEVICES Filed Aug. 14, 1945 2 Shegs-Sheet 2 as as 24 Fl 6. 3 55 6) x I l m h a 4/ ,5

INVENTOR A TTOR/VEV Patented Nov. 28, 1950 DIFFERENTIAL DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR ARTICLE-HANDLING DEVICES Vincent A. Rayburn, Baltimore,

Md., minor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 14,1945, Serial No. 610,834 2 Claims. (01. 271-23) 1 This application relates to differential drive assemblies and more particularly to differential drive assemblies for driving a device at difler- I eat speeds.

In the preparation of rubber-like materials for the production of articles therefrom, the rubber-like materials are sometimes milled and rolled into strips. Such milling operations heat the rubber-like material, which must be cooled before further operations are conducted thereon. Where a cooler is placed in tandem with a. milling device and a drier and a shearer, the cooler must be operated in synchronization with the mill and also in synchronization with the drier and the shearer. The drier and the shearer are sometimes operated at considerably less speed than is themili so that the cooler must be operated in synchronization with the mill during a portion of the operation of the cooler and in synchronization with the drier and shearer during another portion of its operation.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved diiferential drive assemblies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved drive assembly, which includes a driving shaft for driving one device, a one-way clutch fastened to the drive shaft, an electric motor for rotating the one-way clutch in a predetermined direction so as to rotates the drive shaft in that direction and a second oneway clutch mounted on the drive shaft for driving the drive shaft in said direction. A second drive shaft for driving a second device drives the second one-way clutch when it'ls rotated and a second electric motor serves to rotate the second drive shaft so that both the first-mentioned drive shaft and the second drive shaft are rotated when the second electric motor is energized, while only the first-mentioned shaft is rotated when the first-mentioned electric motor is energized. Control circuits for the motors are provided so that the first-mentioned motor may be run separately, the second motor may be run separately, and neither motor taneously.

A differential drive assembly forming one embodiment of the invention includes means for driving one of a plurality of devices when actuated, means for driving all of the devices when actuated, and means for actuating selectively the first-mentioned driving means and the lastmentioned driving means.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of a. differential drive assembly formcan be run simul- 2 ing a specific embodiment conjunction with the which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a differential drive assembly constituting one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the difierential drive assembly taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the differential drive assembly taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of the differential drive assembly taken thereof, when read in appended drawings, in

along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a. diagrammatic view of the dinerential drive assembly and apparatus driven thereby, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown therein a difierential drive assembly In (Fig. l)i for driving a cooler Ii (Fig. 5) to advance a strip l2 of material from a mill (not shown) to a drier l3 and a shearer H. The cooler is disclosed in application Serial No. 610,833, filed on Aug. 14, 1945, the drier is disclosed in application Serial No. 610,831, filed on Aug. 14, 1946, now Patent No. 2,501,875, and. the shearer is disclosed in applications Serlai Nos. 610,832 and 610,835, both filed Aug. 14, 1945, now Patents 2,439,944 and 2,429,945, respectively.

The diii'erential drive assembly l0 (Fig. 1) includes an electric motor 20. When the electric motor 20 is energized, it drives through belts 21-, a variable gear 22, which in turn drives a reduction gear 23. The gear 23 serves to drive a sprocket 24 by means of a sprocket 25 and a chain 26.

The sprocket 24 is keyed to a driving member 30 (Fig. 4) of a one-way clutch 3i, and when the driving member 30 is driven, it drives by means of cam rollers 34-34 a driven member 32 keyed to a drive shaft 33. The one-way clutch 3| is of a well known type and the driven member 32 is provided with wedge portions 36-36 for efi'ecting driving engagement of the rollers 34-34 with the driving member 30. The driven member 32 also has depressions 31-31 formed therein to prevent driving engagement between the rollers 34-34 and the driving member 30 when the driven member is driven by the drive shaft 33 and the driving member 30 is not driven by the motor 20. The drive shaft 33 is rotatably mounted in bearings 35-35 and serves to drive the cooler ll (Fig. 5) through sprockets and chains (not shown) when it is rotated. When the electric motor 20 is not encrgized and the sprocket 24 and the driving member 30 of the clutch 3I are stationary, the shaft 33 and the driven member 32 may be rotated in the same direction as that which they are rotated when the driving member 30 is rotated, without moving the driving member 30.

An electric motor 40 (Fig. 1) through belts 4I-4I drives a reduction gear 42, which drives a drive shaft 43. The drive shaft 43 drives the drier I3 (Fig. and the shearer I4 through gears (not shown) and also serves to drive a sprocket 44 (Fig. 1) by means of a chain 46 and a sprocket 45 secured to the shaft 43. The sprocket 44 is keyed to a driving member 50 (Fig. 4) of a one-way clutch 5I, which includes a driven member 52 and cam rollers 54-54. The driven member 52 of the one-way clutch 5i is keyed to the shaft 33, and when the sprocket 44 is rotated by the motor 40, it serves through the one-way clutch 5| to rotate the shaft 33 in the same direction as that in which the drive shaft 33 is rotated by the motor 20 when the motor 20 rotates the sprocket 24.

The electric motor 20 (Fig. 5) through the variable gear 22 and the one-way clutch 3| serves, when energized, to drive the shaft 33 at a relatively high rate of speed. The shaft 33 is connected to the cooler II and serves to drive the cooler at a relatively high rate of speed. An electric motor 55 associated with the variable gear 22, when energized serves to vary the ratio of the input speed with respect to the output speed of the variable gear, and may be used to .adjust the speed of the cooler II to that of the mill (not shown).

The motor 40 serves to drive the shaft 43, "which is connected to the drier I3 and the shearer I4. The shaft 43, when rotated, also serves to rotate the shaft 33 through the one-way clutch 5| but at a slower rate of speed than that at which theshaft 33 is rotated by themotor 20.

A power line 60 including conductors 6|, 62 and 63 serves to energize the motor 20 when contactors 64-,--64 of a holding relay 68 are in engagement with contacts 6565 thereof. The

contactors 64-64 are normally out of engagement with the contacts 6565 but engagements are made therebetween when a winding I0 of the relay 66 is energized, at which time a holding contactor II of the relay 56 is moved into engagement with a holding contact I2 thereof.

The motor 20 may be energized by closing a spring-pressed normally open, momentary starting switch I3. When the starting switch I3 is closed, it energizes the winding I0 of the holding relay 68 through the following circuit: conductors 62, 14 and I5, the winding 10, a conductor I6, a normally closed contact 80 of a block-out relay 82, a contactor 8I thereof, a conductor 83, a contact 85 of a normally closed, stopping switch 86, a contactor 89 of the stopping switch, a contact 30 thereof, conductors 9i and 32 the starting switch I3, and conductors 95, 96 and 63.

,When the winding I0 is thus energized, the contacts 64-64 are moved into engagement with the contacts 65-65, whereby the motor 20 is energized.

After the winding I0 of the holding relay 66 v has been energized by closing the starting switch I3, an engagement between the holding contactor II and the holding contact I2 is made and the starting switch I3 then may be released with- 4 out stopping motor 20. When the starting switch I3 is released, it opens but the winding I0 remains energized through the following circuit: conductors 63 and 86, the contactor II, the contact I2, a conductor I00, the conductor II, the stopping switch 86, the conductor 83, the contactor 8|, the contact 80, the conductor I4, the winding I0 and the conductors I5, I4 and 62. The motor 20 remains energized until the stopping switch 88 is opened which breaks the circuit to the winding I0 of the holding relay 66 and the engagements between the contactors 64--64 and II with the contacts 65-85 and I2, respectively, are broken thereby.

When the contactors 6464 are in engagement with the contactors 65-65, the motor 55 may be energized to vary the ratio of the input speed with respect to output speed of the variable gear 22 to adjust the speed of the cooler II to that of the mill. crease the output speed of the variable gear by moving a contactor W! of a switch I02 out oi engagement with contacts I 03 and I04 thereof and into engagement with contacts I05 and I00 thereof. When the contactor IN is moved into engagement with the contacts I05 and I06, the motor 55 is energized to increase the output speed of the variable gear through the following circuit: conductors 62 and I0I, the winding of the motor 55, a conductor I08, acontact I00 of the switch I02, a contactor IIO thereof ,normally in engagement with contacts I08 and III, the contact II I, a conductor II2, the contact I05 of the switch I02, the contactor IOI thereof, the contact I06 thereof and conductors II3, II 4 and 63. When the rate of speed of the cooler II has been increased to that of the mill, the contactor IOI is moved out of engagement with the contacts I05 and I06 and into engagement with the contacts I03 and I04, whereby the motor 55 is deenergized and the variable gear 22 operates in its adjusted condition.

To decrease the output speed of the variable gear 22, the contactor I I0 of the switch I02 is moved into engagement with contacts H5 and I I8 thereof. This energizes the motor 55 to drive in a direction to decrease the output speed of the variable gear through the following circuit: the conductors 62 and I01, the winding of motor 55, a conductor III, the contact I 04, the contactor IN, the contact I03,a conductor II8, the contact II5, the contactor II 0, the contact H4 and conductors II9, II 4 and 63. After the output speed of the variable gear has been lowered to that desired, the contactor H0 is moved out of engagement with the contacts H5 and III and back into engagement with the contacts I03 and III, whereby the motor 55 is deenergized and the variable gear remains in its adjusted condition.

A power line I20 including conductors I2I, I22 and I23 serves to supply the motor 40 with electric current when contactors I24I24 of aholding relay I26 are in engagement with the contacts I25-I25 thereof. These engagements occur when a winding I30 of the holding relay I24 is energized, at which time a holding contactor I3I of the relay I26 is moved into engagement with a holding contact I32 thereof. To energize the winding I30, a normally open, momentarystarting switch I33 is closed, which action completes the circuit through the power line I20 and the winding I30 as follows: conductors I22, I34 and I35, the winding I30, a conductor I34,

The motor 55 is energized to in-- ed to the conductor I22.

-the contact I43, a conductor I43, a normally closed stopping switch I50, conductors II and I52, the starting switch I 33 and conductors I53,

I54, I55 and I23.

Once the winding I30 of the relay I26 has been energized by closing the starting switch I33, the starting switch I33 may then be released without deenergizing the winding I30 of the holding relay I26, the winding I30 then being energized through the following circuit: the conductors I22, I34 and I35, the winding I30, the conductor I36, the contact I40 of the block-out relay I42, the contactor I4I, the conductors I43 and I44, the normally closed contact I45 of the jogging switch I43, the normally closed contactor I41, the contact I48, the conductor I49, the normally closed stopping switch I50, conductors I5I and I56, the holding contact I32, the holding contactor "I and the conductors I55 and I23. Thus, after the starting switch I33 once is closed and even after it is released, the motor 40 remains energized until the stopping switch I50 is opened, which action breaks the circuit to the winding I30, whereby the motor 40 is deenergized.

When the winding I30 of the relay I26 is energized, a winding I60 of the block-out relay 32 is energized through conductors I6I and I62, which are connected to conductors I 2| and I34, respectively, the conductor I6I being connected :to the conductor I2I on the opposite side of the contactors I24-I24 and the contacts I25-I25 from that on which the conductor I34 is connect- Thus, the contactors I24-I24 must be in engagement with the contacts I25-I25 before the winding I60 can be energized. When the winding I60 is energized, which occurs whenever the motor 40 is energized, the engagement between the contactor 6| and the contact 30 is broken which prevents the energization of the winding 10 of the holding relay 66, whereby the motor 20 cannot be energized. Conversely, when the winding 10 of the holding relay 33 is energized, which occurs when the motor 20 is energized, a winding I65 of the block-out relay I42 is energized through conductors I66 and I31, which are connected to conductors 14 and 6|, respectively. The conductors 14 and I61 are connected to their respective conductors 62 and 6| on opposite sides of the contactors 64-64 and contacts 65-65, so that the contactors 64-64 must be in engagement with the contacts 65-65 before the winding I65 can be energized. Thus, when the motor 20 is energized, the winding I65 is energized, and the engagement between the contact I40 and the contactor MI is broken, whereby the circuit to the winding I 30 of the holding relay I 26 is opened and the motor 40 cannot be energized.

It it is desired to jog the strip I2, the motor 40 is energized, as long asdesired, by holding the contactor I41 of the jogging switch I43 out of engagement with the contacts I45 and I46, with which contacts the contactor I41 is normally in engagement, and into engagement with contacts I13 and I14 of the jogging switch. When the contactor I41 is moved into engagement with the contacts I13 and I 14, the motor 40 is energized by means of the holding relay I26, which is energized through the following circuit: conductors I23, I55, I54 and I12, the contact I13, the contactor I41, the contact I14, conductors I15 and I43, the contactor I4I of the block-out relay I42, the contact I40, the conductor I33, the winding I30 of the relay I26 and conductors I35, I34 and I22. At this time, the holding circuit for the winding I30 of the holding relay I26, which circuit ordinarily is closed by the engagement of the contactor I3I with the contact I32, is open because the contactor I41 is out of engagement with the contacts I45 and I46. When the strip I2 has been jogged as far as desired, the contactor I41 is moved out of engagement with the contacts I13 and I14, whereby the winding 13 is deenergized and the motor 40 is stopped.

Inthe operation of the apparatus described hereinabove, the cooler II is started by closing the starting switch 13. The starting switch, 13 then is released but the motor 20 continues to runthrough the holding relay 66 and drives the shaft 33 through the one-way clutch 3| and the shaft 33 drives the cooler II. When the drive shaft 33 is driven through the one-way clutch 3|, the rotation thereof is not impeded by the one-way clutch 5| because at this time the relative movement between the driven clutch member 52 (Fig. 4) and the driving clutch member 50 is opposite to that in which there is a driving connection therebetween.

The strip I2 (Fig. 5) then is guided to the cooler II from the mill (not shown), and the cooler conveys the strip therethrough, cooling the strip as it does so. After the cooler is filled with the strip, the stopping switch 86 is opened whereby the motor 20 is deenergized and the cooler is stopped. The strip then is cut at a point between the cooler and the mill.

The contactor I41 of the jogging switch I43 then is moved into engagement with the contacts I13 and I 14 and the motor 40 is energized and drives the cooler II through the one-way clutch 5|, and the drier I3 and the shearer I4 directly. The contactor I41 is held in engagement with the contacts I 13 and I14 until the right hand end of the strip I2, as viewed in Fig. 5, is in a position to be inserted into the drier I3. The contactor I41 then is released and moves out of engagement with the contacts I13 and I14 and into engagement with the contacts I 45 and I43. When the engagement between the contactor I41 and contacts I13 and I 14 is broken, the motor 40 is deenergized and the cooler, the drier and the shearer are stopped.

The starting switch I33 then is closed to start the motor 40, which drives the drive shaft 43, which drives the drier I 3 and the shearer I4. The drive shaft 43 also .drives the drive shaft 33 through the one-way clutch 5| whereby the cooler II is driven. The drive shaft 43 serves to drive the cooler I I, the drier I3 and the shearer I4 in synchronization with each other so that the strip I2 i advanced through the cooler II at a' slightly lower rate of speed than that at which the strip is advanced through the drier and the shearer.

When the drive shaft 33 is driven through the one-way clutch 5|, the rotation of the drive shaft 33 is not impeded by the motor 20 or the gears 22 and 23 because the driven clutch member 32 of the one-way clutch 3| rotates freely without driving connection between it and the driving clutch member 30. After the strip I2 has been run through the cooler II, the drier I3 and the shearer I4, the stopping switch I50 is opened and the motor 40 is deenergized. The operation described hereinabove then may be repeated in a manner similar to that described hereinabove.

The above-described difierential drive assembly serves to drive the cooler II in synchronization with the mill and also serves to drive the cooler, the drier l3 and the shearer N in synchronization, as desired, and when it is driven in either manner, the means for driving it in the other of these ways is not affected.

What is claimed is: v

1. An apparatus for handling filaments. which comprises means for advancing a filament, a second filament advancing means arranged in tandem with the first filament-advancing means, a shaft for .driving the first filament-advancing means to move a filament therethrough toward the second filament-advancing means, a one-way clutch mounted on the shaft for driving the driving means, a source of power for driving the oneway clutch to drive the shaft, a second shaft for driving the second filament-advancing means to advance a filament from the first filament-advancing means, a second source of power for driving the second shaft, a second one-way clutch mounted on the first shaft, means for connecting the second one-way clutch to the second shaft to drive the second one-way clutch by the second shaft, whereby the first filament-advancing means may be driven in synchronization with the second article-advancing means by the second shaft, and means for selectively energizing the first source of power and the second source of power.

2. An apparatus for processing strips of material, which comprises means for advancing a strip of material, a second strip-advancing means arranged in tandem with the first strip-advancing means for further advancing a strip of mate-n 8 source of power for driving the one-way clutch at a predetermined rate of speed such that the first strip-advancing means advances the strip at a predetermined rate of speed, a second shaft for driving the second strip-advancing meansto advance the strip from the first strip-advancing means, a second source of power for driving the second shaft at a rate of speed such that the second strip-advancing means advances the strip at a rate of speed substantially lower than that at which it is advanced when said first source ofpower is operative, a second one-way clutch mounted on the first shaft for driving that shaft, means connecting the second shaft to the second one-way clutch to drive the first strip-advancing means at a rate ofspeed such that the first strip-advancing means advances the strip at the same rate of speed as the second strip-advancing means, and means for selectively energizing the first source of power and the second source of power.

VINCENT A. RAYBURN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 

